1 Now Alma, having been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them, and having made it known to his people, therefore they gathered together their flocks, and took of their grain, and departed into the wilderness before the armies of king Noah.

1 Ahora bien, Alma, habiendo sido advertido por el Señor de que las tropas del rey Noé caerían sobre ellos, y habiéndolo hecho saber a su pueblo, por tanto, reunieron sus rebaños, y tomaron de su grano, y salieron para el desierto, seguidos por las tropas del rey Noé.

2 And the Lord did strengthen them, that the people of king Noah could not overtake them to destroy them.

2 Y el Señor los fortaleció, de modo que la gente del rey Noé no pudo alcanzarlos para destruirlos.

3 And they fled eight days’ journey into the wilderness.

3 Y por el espacio de ocho días huyeron en el desierto.

4 And they came to a land, yea, even a very beautiful and pleasant land, a land of pure water.

4 Y llegaron a una tierra, sí, una tierra muy hermosa y placentera, una tierra de aguas puras.

5 And they pitched their tents, and began to till the ground, and began to build buildings; yea, they were industrious, and did labor exceedingly.

5 Y plantaron sus tiendas, y empezaron a labrar la tierra y comenzaron a construir edificios; sí, eran industriosos y trabajaron mucho.

6 And the people were desirous that Alma should be their king, for he was beloved by his people.

6 Y la gente deseaba que Alma fuera su rey, porque su pueblo lo amaba.

7 But he said unto them: Behold, it is not expedient that we should have a king; for thus saith the Lord: Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another; therefore I say unto you it is not expedient that ye should have a king.

7 Mas él les dijo: He aquí, no es prudente que tengamos rey; porque así dice el Señor: No estimaréis a una carne más que a otra, ni un hombre se considerará mejor que otro; os digo pues, no conviene que tengáis rey.

8 Nevertheless, if it were possible that ye could always have just men to be your kings it would be well for you to have a king.

8 Sin embargo, si fuera posible que siempre tuvieseis hombres justos por reyes, bien os sería tener rey.

9 But remember the iniquity of king Noah and his priests; and I myself was caught in a snare, and did many things which were abominable in the sight of the Lord, which caused me sore repentance;

9 Mas recordad la iniquidad del rey Noé y sus sacerdotes; y yo mismo caí en la trampa e hice muchas cosas abominables a la vista del Señor, lo que me ocasionó angustioso arrepentimiento;

10 Nevertheless, after much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth.

10 no obstante, después de mucha tribulación, el Señor oyó mi clamor y contestó mis oraciones, y me ha hecho instrumento en sus manos para traer a tantos de vosotros al conocimiento de su verdad.

11 Nevertheless, in this I do not glory, for I am unworthy to glory of myself.

11 Sin embargo, en esto no me glorío, porque soy indigno de gloriarme.

12 And now I say unto you, ye have been oppressed by king Noah, and have been in bondage to him and his priests, and have been brought into iniquity by them; therefore ye were bound with the bands of iniquity.

12 Y ahora os digo, el rey Noé os ha oprimido, y habéis sido esclavos de él y de sus sacerdotes, y ellos os han conducido a la iniquidad; por tanto, fuisteis atados con las cadenas de la iniquidad.

13 And now as ye have been delivered by the power of God out of these bonds; yea, even out of the hands of king Noah and his people, and also from the bonds of iniquity, even so I desire that ye should stand fast in this liberty wherewith ye have been made free, and that ye trust no man to be a king over you.

13 Y ahora bien, ya que habéis sido librados de estas ligaduras por el poder de Dios, sí, de las manos del rey Noé y su pueblo, y también de las ligaduras de la iniquidad, así deseo que os mantengáis firmes en esta libertad con que habéis sido libertados, y que no confiéis en ningún hombre para que sea rey sobre vosotros.

14 And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments.

14 Ni confiéis en nadie para que sea vuestro maestro ni vuestro ministro, a menos que sea un hombre de Dios, que ande en sus vías y guarde sus mandamientos.

15 Thus did Alma teach his people, that every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them.

15 Así instruyó Alma a su pueblo, a fin de que cada uno amara a su prójimo como a sí mismo, para que no hubiese contención entre ellos.

16 And now, Alma was their high priest, he being the founder of their church.

16 Y Alma era su sumo sacerdote, por ser el fundador de su iglesia.

17 And it came to pass that none received authority to preach or to teach except it were by him from God. Therefore he consecrated all their priests and all their teachers; and none were consecrated except they were just men.

17 Y sucedió que nadie recibía autoridad para predicar ni para enseñar, sino de Dios, por medio de Alma. Por tanto, él consagraba a todos los sacerdotes y a todos los maestros de ellos; y nadie era consagrado a menos que fuera hombre justo.

18 Therefore they did watch over their people, and did nourish them with things pertaining to righteousness.

18 Por tanto, velaban por su pueblo, y lo sustentaban con cosas pertenecientes a la rectitud.

19 And it came to pass that they began to prosper exceedingly in the land; and they called the land Helam.

19 Y ocurrió que empezaron a prosperar grandemente en la tierra; y la llamaron la tierra de Helam.

20 And it came to pass that they did multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city, which they called the city of Helam.

20 Y aconteció que se multiplicaron y prosperaron en sumo grado en la tierra de Helam; y edificaron una ciudad a la que llamaron la ciudad de Helam.

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

21 Con todo, el Señor considera conveniente castigar a su pueblo; sí, él prueba su paciencia y su fe.

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

22 Sin embargo, quien pone su confianza en él será enaltecido en el postrer día. Sí, y así fue con este pueblo.

23 For behold, I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.

23 Porque he aquí, os mostraré que fueron reducidos a la servidumbre, y nadie podía librarlos sino el Señor su Dios, sí, el Dios de Abraham e Isaac y Jacob.

24 And it came to pass that he did deliver them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their rejoicings.

24 Y sucedió que los libró, y les manifestó su gran poder; y grande fue el gozo de ellos.

25 For behold, it came to pass that while they were in the land of Helam, yea, in the city of Helam, while tilling the land round about, behold an army of the Lamanites was in the borders of the land.

25 Porque he aquí, aconteció que mientras se hallaban en la tierra de Helam, sí, en la ciudad de Helam, mientras labraban el terreno circunvecino, he aquí, un ejército lamanita se hallaba en las fronteras de la tierra.

26 Now it came to pass that the brethren of Alma fled from their fields, and gathered themselves together in the city of Helam; and they were much frightened because of the appearance of the Lamanites.

26 Ocurrió entonces que los hermanos de Alma huyeron de sus campos y se reunieron en la ciudad de Helam; y temieron en gran manera por motivo de la llegada de los lamanitas.

27 But Alma went forth and stood among them, and exhorted them that they should not be frightened, but that they should remember the Lord their God and he would deliver them.

27 Pero salió Alma y fue entre ellos, y los exhortó a que no temieran, sino que se acordaran del Señor su Dios, y él los libraría.

28 Therefore they hushed their fears, and began to cry unto the Lord that he would soften the hearts of the Lamanites, that they would spare them, and their wives, and their children.

28 Por tanto, calmaron sus temores y empezaron a implorar al Señor que ablandara el corazón de los lamanitas, a fin de que les perdonaran la vida, y la de sus esposas y de sus hijos.

29 And it came to pass that the Lord did soften the hearts of the Lamanites. And Alma and his brethren went forth and delivered themselves up into their hands; and the Lamanites took possession of the land of Helam.

29 Y aconteció que el Señor ablandó el corazón de los lamanitas. Y Alma y sus hermanos avanzaron y se entregaron en manos de ellos; y los lamanitas se posesionaron de la tierra de Helam.

30 Now the armies of the Lamanites, which had followed after the people of king Limhi, had been lost in the wilderness for many days.

30 Ahora bien, los ejércitos lamanitas que habían seguido al pueblo del rey Limhi habían estado perdidos en el desierto por muchos días.

31 And behold, they had found those priests of king Noah, in a place which they called Amulon; and they had begun to possess the land of Amulon and had begun to till the ground.

31 Y he aquí, habían encontrado a aquellos sacerdotes del rey Noé en un paraje que llamaron Amulón; y éstos habían empezado a poseer el país de Amulón y a labrar la tierra.

32 Now the name of the leader of those priests was Amulon.

32 Y el nombre del jefe de esos sacerdotes era Amulón.

33 And it came to pass that Amulon did plead with the Lamanites; and he also sent forth their wives, who were the daughters of the Lamanites, to plead with their brethren, that they should not destroy their husbands.

33 Y aconteció que Amulón suplicó a los lamanitas; y envió también a las mujeres de estos sacerdotes, que eran las hijas de los lamanitas, para que abogaran con sus hermanos por que no destruyesen a sus maridos.

34 And the Lamanites had compassion on Amulon and his brethren, and did not destroy them, because of their wives.

34 Y los lamanitas tuvieron compasión de Amulón y sus hermanos, y no los destruyeron a causa de sus esposas.

35 And Amulon and his brethren did join the Lamanites, and they were traveling in the wilderness in search of the land of Nephi when they discovered the land of Helam, which was possessed by Alma and his brethren.

35 Y Amulón y sus hermanos se unieron a los lamanitas, y andaban por el desierto buscando la tierra de Nefi cuando descubrieron la tierra de Helam, que poseían Alma y sus hermanos.

36 And it came to pass that the Lamanites promised unto Alma and his brethren, that if they would show them the way which led to the land of Nephi that they would grant unto them their lives and their liberty.

36 Y aconteció que los lamanitas prometieron a Alma y a sus hermanos que si les indicaban el camino que conducía a la tierra de Nefi, les concederían su vida y su libertad.

37 But after Alma had shown them the way that led to the land of Nephi the Lamanites would not keep their promise; but they set guards round about the land of Helam, over Alma and his brethren.

37 Pero después que Alma les hubo enseñado el camino que conducía a la tierra de Nefi, los lamanitas no quisieron cumplir su promesa, sino que pusieron guardias alrededor de la tierra de Helam, sobre Alma y sus hermanos.

38 And the remainder of them went to the land of Nephi; and a part of them returned to the land of Helam, and also brought with them the wives and the children of the guards who had been left in the land.

38 Y los demás partieron para la tierra de Nefi; y parte de ellos retornaron a la tierra de Helam y llevaron consigo a las esposas y también a los hijos de los guardias que habían dejado atrás.

39 And the king of the Lamanites had granted unto Amulon that he should be a king and a ruler over his people, who were in the land of Helam; nevertheless he should have no power to do anything contrary to the will of the king of the Lamanites.

39 Y el rey de los lamanitas le había concedido a Amulón que fuese rey y gobernante de su pueblo que se hallaba en la tierra de Helam; no obstante, no tendría poder para hacer cosa alguna que fuese contraria a la voluntad del rey de los lamanitas.